Vulnerable
by longlostcullen
Summary: Six years ago Edward broke Bella's heart and now his chance has come to mend her broken heart. But will Bella let the one who broke her heart put it back together? AH/OOC Rated M for adult content. Inspired by Vulnerable by Secondhand Serenade.
1. Chapter 1

**_I know this isn't exactly a new concept here but I couldn't get this out of my head. I promise that this will all be in good taste. Also this story is rated M for a reason. You don't like sexual content then I suggest reading something else. Later chapters will have more than innuendo. Anyways enjoy! And review ;)_**

* * *

"_We were made for each other." He whispered. _

_We were laying in his meadow staring at the night sky. The one time it's not raining. Our fingers were interlaced and we were content just being together. _

_"Two halves of a whole." I whispered back. _

_He pulled me gently on his chest and I laid my head against his heart, hearing it's strong steady beats, it was music to my ears._

I slowly opened my eyes willing the tears to stay back. Edward. He still had my heart, my everything.

I rolled over and sighed grateful that tears didn't fall. I waited for the alarm clock to go off signaling the start of another monotonous day. I took a quick shower and blow dried my hair, making it straight. I put on my make-up and went through the routine of my mornings.

I was just about to walk out the door when I heard the phone ring. I sighed and wondered who the hell would call at 7:30 in the morning.

"Hello, this is Bella Swan." I said in a bored voice.

"Bella?" A voice asked timidly.

"No, I lied this is actually Julia Roberts." I cringed inwardly at the sarcasm but it's 7:30 and I'm going to be late.

The voice laughed and I frowned trying to remember where I've heard that laughter. It was sweet and bubbly. I sucked in a deep breath and felt like I've been hit over the head with a frying pan...Alice.

"Alice? Is that you?" I breathed. She laughed again

"Yes Bella. I, uh, wanted to see how you're doing?"

"Good all things considered."

"That's wonderful. Listen there is actually a reason I called." Alice said nervously.

I laughed and I swear I heard her breath a sigh of relief.

"I figured as much. What's up?"

"Well I'm getting married in a couple of months and I was wondering if you would be my maid-of-honor?" Alice asked in a rush. It took me a minute to decipher her high speed babble.

"You want me to be your maid-of-honor? We haven't spoke to each other in about six years." I said in a somewhat incredulous voice. After the Cullens moved we just lost touch. I hope she doesn't have some half cocked scheme contrived. I wouldn't put it past her.

"I know Bella. It's just that you are probably the only person who feels like a true sister to me. I couldn't imagine anyone else as my maid-of-honor." She said in a pleading voice.

I could never resist Alice pleading. I could just picture her gray eyes wide and innocent with her bottom lip quivering. "Alright Alice. You have yourself a maid-of-honor." I sighed.

"You mean it Bella! You'll really do it." She asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, I'll do it." God, how did I get sucked into this? I haven't spoken to Alice in six years and all it takes is for me to _imagine _her pleading puppy dog face. I am the world's biggest sap.

"Bella, I saw your photography work for Yale's website and I would love it if you could take the reception pictures." She asked again in her pleading voice. "I'll pay you-"

"Stop Alice. You don't have to pay me. I would love to take the pictures." And I would. I loved photography. I guess it was something about capturing the essence of someone and immortalizing it. And I am so full of crap, maybe I should've been a harlequin romance writer.

"Wonderful. The whole family is staying at Forks right now. And I would love it if you could come stay with us." Was she serious? Just take off work for a couple of months. What the hell am I saying? I'm a freelance photographer...who just happened to be very in demand.

I was about to say yes when I picked up on something in her statement.

"What do you mean the whole family?" I whispered.

Alice stuttered and faltered through her statement "Well, Bella...he is my brother and given the past...events, I thought that you guys...would have, you know, moved on?"

"Right of course." No need to tell her that I was still hopelessly in love with the jackass.

"Well let me know when you come to a decision. Let me give you my cell number." She rattled off her number and I programmed it in my cell phone.

I hung up and finished packing up my stuff. I willed myself not to let a single tear fall. I cried enough over Edward through the years. I didn't need to start up the habit now.

* * *

"_You're leaving?" She whispered. Heartache dripping off her every word. _

_I took a step toward her and she took a step back. I swallowed and tried to get closer to her but she kept backing away. _

_"Please Bella. Just let me hold you." I saw tears cascading down her face and I hated my father at that moment. I hated him for this. How could he expect me to leave her? She was my other half, the holder of my heart. _

_She took a deep, quivering breath and ran into my arms. I hugged her close to me. _

_"What are we going to do?" She whispered in a panicked voice. _

_"I don't know." I pulled back and held her delicate face in my hands. She was so beautiful. There would never be anyone else for me. She was designed for me. I pressed my lips to hers and I could taste the salt of our tears. She pulled away and stood on her tip toes to kiss my tears away. _

I woke up and sighed. Of course Bella would star in my dreams. Damn it. Ever since we left her in Forks I had changed. I wasn't the same boy who was head over heels for her. I became someone I didn't even recognize anymore. Someone Bella would hate.

I showered and waited for the latest girl in my bed to wake up so I could promptly kick her out. I sighed again and got dressed when what's-her-name finally woke up.

"Look last night was fun. But you can leave now. I don't need your number, I doubt I will call you." I told her in a cold voice.

I could care less about this girl. She wasn't Bella. She looked at me shocked and I left the room so she could change. I looked out the window of my penthouse at downtown Chicago. I heard the girl stomp out of my house and mutter "Jackass."

I rolled my eyes but paid her no heed. I continued to gaze at the city seeing nothing. My musings were interrupted by cell phone going off in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the number.

"Hey Jazz. What's up?" I asked.

"Hey Edward. How are you doing?" He asked in his Texas drawl, something that both Emmett and I teased him about. But he took it all in stride saying that girls like Southern accents.

"I'm fine, but why are you calling?" Jasper didn't call that often he preferred talking in person.

"What? I have to have a nefarious motive for calling?" He asked in a shocked tone that fooled no one.

"Well when you're engaged to my scheming sister, then yes you do." I said honestly.

It was true, in everything my sister did she had a motive, but she wouldn't be Alice if she didn't.

He laughed and said "You caught me. We were wondering if you could come up here to Forks for a while and spend time with us before the wedding drives us all crazy. And I don't want to put Emmett in charge of Best Man duties."

I laughed and sighed once more. That was really starting to get on my nerves.

"I should be able to. Is Alice bringing any of her bridesmaids?" I sounded like a man whore but I really didn't care. I needed something to fill the void.

"She said one girl is supposed to be coming. Her name was Bella, I think." Jasper said in an unsure voice.

I stopped breathing as soon as he said her name. Bella. The holder of my heart. A thousand times I imagined finding her and winning her heart again, but I could never gather the courage. The consumate coward through and through.

It seems Alice has gathered the courage for me.

"Edward? Hey are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here. Listen tell Alice I'll be there as soon as I can." I said.

I have my chance to win her heart again. To make her mine again. When opportunity knocks you answer the door.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Bella, this isn't going to work. I'm living in Maryland now and you're living in Washington." Edward said in a hard, cold voice. _

_I couldn't believe this. Wasn't he the one who said that we belonged together? Of course, he probably met some beautiful girl who was so much better for him than me. God, how could I have been so stupid to think that he would want to spend his life with me? _

_"I understand." I said in a monotone voice. _

_Monotone was good. It didn't give my pain away, my utter heartbreak. I hung up as soon as I could. I stared at the wall in my bedroom, feeling more vulnerable than I had in my entire life. _

_I could feel the tears coming and I did nothing to stop them. The tears turned to sobs, and I threw my cell phone across the room and clutched my head in hands. _

"Hello this is your Captain speaking flight 353 to Port Angeles, Washington will landing momentarily. We ask that you sit your seats upright, fasten your seatbelts and turn off all electronic devices."

I turned off my iPod and heaved a big sigh. Alice better be on bending knee thanking me for this. I tried to avoid Forks at all costs.

I didn't like to be reminded of my pain, that should've faded with time like the saying says but it only grew more, festering. I looked around at my fellow passengers and I saw a young couple. They were so in love, stars in their eyes and all. Ugh, I willed myself not to puke.

"Thank you for flying with American Airlines. We hope that you enjoy you're stay in the beautiful state of Washington." I rolled my eyes, not likely.

As soon as I got off the plane and through the terminal I whipped out my cell phone to tell Alice that I had arrived.

I listened to her ringback tone 'Vulnerable' by Secondhand Serenade. I thought about hanging up, the song just brought up so many repressed memories.

Thank God she picked up before I could throw my cell phone across baggage claim. I didn't think airport security would appreciate my lapse in temper.

"Hey Bella! How was your flight?" Alice asked in her usual perky tone. "Good, they didn't lose my luggage. No turbulence or delays."

"Do you need someone to come and pick you up?" Alice asked enthusiasm evident in her voice. "Uh, no that's okay, I already have a rental waiting." I said a hurried voice.

I remember Alice's driving quite clearly. She went through cars like I went through film. I shuddered at the thought of her driving.

"Oh Bella! I have become a much better driver! But, fine I will see you in about an hour." Alice huffed. I smiled at her child like petulance.

"Fine Alice see you in an hour." I hung up and cursed.

Damn, now I actually have to get a rental.

* * *

"_Bella, this isn't going to work. I'm living in Maryland now and you're living in Washington." I flinched at my voice. I should never talk to her like this but there was no other way. I knew she would scream and beg me to not do this. _

_"I understand." She replied after a second in a dead, blank voice. _

_That's it? No! I screamed on the inside. Fight damn it fight! If she asked me to not give up I wouldn't. _

_Please Bella, fight for me. I scoffed at myself, ever the coward. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't notice she had hung up. _

_"Edward, you have some mail." My father had walked in my room. I turned to him and my rage and pain boiled over. I threw my phone right at his face. _

_"God! How could you do this to me?" I yelled. Some small part me knew that I was being stupid and irrational, but I didn't care. I just told the person who held my heart that I didn't want to be with her. My dad looked at me like I was crazy and then his incredulous look turned to pain. _

_He crossed the room and pulled me into a hug. I growled and shoved him back and threw my fist right into his face. I felt nothing as my fist connected with his face, but I could hear his nose break. I ran out of the room before he could stop me. _

_"Edward Cullen! What in God's name is going on?" My mother screeched. I didn't answer I just ran to the front door. I heard my dad behind me. _

_"Let him go, Esme. Let him work this out on his own." _

I cringed at that memory. God, I had been such an idiot. My father knew how much I was hurting and he was just trying to help but I didn't want his help. I sighed at my stupidity.

I turned on the familiar dirt path towards my old home.

So many memories lied in this place and all of them were wrapped around Bella. From the first time I saw her in that crappy cafeteria, to where we shared our first kiss, to the place where we first made love. Everything in my world revolved around her, to this day.

I pulled in the garage and I saw my little imp of a sister run out to greet me.

"Edward! You lousy bastard how dare you not call me!" She said teasingly. I laughed at her and pulled her into a hug.

"I missed you too! I see you're still trying to make yourself taller with those ridiculous high heels." Alice looked at me with shocked eyes and then proceeded to smack in the back of the head...hard.

"Ow! What the hell, Alice?" I said.

Jasper laughed loudly and said "I've only known her for two years and even I knew better than to tease her about her adorable, petite frame." I rolled my eyes. Jasper really knew how to lay it on thick.

Alice skipped out of my hug and went to Jasper's side.

"Well, welcome home Edward. Jasper, why don't you go inside and tell mom and dad that Edward is here." Alice said looking up at Jasper with glazed eyes.

"Sure beautiful." He kissed the top of her head and went inside. Once he was gone Alice looked at me with critical eyes.

"Bella hasn't arrived yet. She should be here in about an hour."

"Okay, I didn't even ask about her Alice." My sister seemed to be reading my mind.

"Oh I know, but I knew you would. I don't want you to hurt her again Edward. We've all done enough damage to her heart. I couldn't bear it if you hurt her again." Alice said with fierce protectiveness.

"Look Alice, I don't know what made you say that, but I don't plan on hurting Bella again." I said with sincerity.

"Edward, I don't know what you have planned but, please don't hurt her." She thought I had something planned? I thought she had planned this.

"I don't have anything planned."

"Good but...we all know you haven't gotten over her. Which is probably why you've been whoring around Chicago. Just if you plan on winning Bella back it's going to take a lot of work."

"I haven't been whoring around Chicago."

Alice gave me a sardonic before continuing.

"Anyways, this is your last chance to do right by her Edward. So for God's sake don't screw up...but no pressure." She added with a smirk.

I rolled her eyes and watched her walk inside. I didn't plan on screwing up. Alice was right this was my chance...my last chance.


End file.
